What tests may be done for stomach ulcer?
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- Endoscopy is the test that can confirm a stomach ulcer. In this test a doctor looks inside your stomach by passing a thin, flexible telescope down your oesophagus. They can see any inflammation or ulcers.
- A test to detect the H. pylori bacterium is usually done if you have a stomach ulcer. If H. pylori is found then it is likely to be the cause of the ulcer. A separate leaflet gives more details about H. pylori and how it can be diagnosed. Briefly, it can be detected in a sample of faeces, or in a 'breath test', or from a biopsy sample taken during an endoscopy.
- Biopsies (small samples) are usually taken of the tissue in and around the ulcer during endoscopy. These are sent to the 'lab' to be looked at under the microscope. This checks for cancer (which is ruled out as the cause of the ulcer in most cases).
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